Conor McGregor reacts as he walks on stage for UFC 205 Weigh-ins at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2016 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Michael Reaves)
There were a lot of great fights in the UFC in 2016 like Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit and the two fights between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. For 2017, there are no big fights scheduled besides Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural women's featherweight championship. Here are the five fights fans want to see happen this year.
Stipe Miocic vs. Cain Velasquez
The heavyweight division has always been erratic for the past couple of years. However, Stipe Miocic staked his claim as the best heavyweight in the world as he captured his first UFC title by defeating Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198.
Miocic then defeated Alistair Overeem at UFC 203 to retain his title. On the other hand, Cain Velasquez returned at UFC 200 with a vengeance as he soundly defeated Matt Browne. He was supposed to fight Fabricio Werdum at UFC 207 but he was pulled out due to an injury, per MMA Junkie.
If Velasquez can stay healthy and beat Werdum, he certainly becomes a legit threat to Miocic's title. JDS can also fill-in since he's the last to defeat the champ but Miocic vs. Velasquez is the fight fans want to see.
Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones II
The fans have been looking forward to DC vs. Bones II but Jon Jones can't seem to keep himself from trouble. He is still suspended but he'll be back in action this year. On the other hand, Cormier might have to settle with Anthony Johnson, who is on a roll since losing to DC back at UFC 187.
Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tony Ferguson
Many anti-Conor McGregor people believe that Khabib "The Eagle" Nurmagomedov can easily beat the current lightweight champ. However, there are two things keeping these two fighters from each other: Nurmagomedov's injury history and Tony Ferguson.
With McGregor on hiatus for the birth of his son, the UFC can put "The Eagle" vs. "El Cucuy" in a match for the interim title. Whoever wins the fight faces McGregor to crown the undisputed lightweight champion of the world.
Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway
There is a big chance that Jose Aldo goes after Conor McGregor at the lightweight division. However, there seems to be brewing rivalry between Aldo and interim featherweight champion, Max Holloway. Aldo has not face someone like Holloway before which makes this an interesting fight.
Holloway is on a ten-fight winning streak and he poses a great threat to Aldo. It should be noted that McGregor is the last fighter to ever beat both these champions.
Joanna Jedrejeczyk vs. Jessica Andrade
Joanna Jedrejeczyk has been on a tear since winning the strawweight title at UFC 185. She defeated Karolina Kowalkiewicz in her latest fight at UFC 205.
On the other hand, Jessica Andrade has been on a roll since moving down at strawweight. She beat Jessica Penne at UFC 199 in her strawweight debut before submitting Joanne Calderwood at UFC 203 in the first round.
Check out the video below to see some of the UFC highlights of 2016.
